Snow forecast across much of Wisconsin
Milwaukee likely to get 1-3 inches
Wisconsin voters will have to deal with an election day storm forecast to dump several inches of snow across much of the state Tuesday.
The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory beginning at 1 a.m. Tuesday for Washington, Ozaukee, Sheboygan and Fond du Lac counties with a forecast of 3 to 9 inches of snow from late Monday evening to 7 a.m. Wednesday.
The advisory extends west from Dodge County through Sauk and Dane counties to Crawford and Grant counties.
Motorists should expect slippery road conditions and reduced visibility at times, the weather service said.
In the Milwaukee area, forecasters are predicting a wintry mix on Tuesday with alternating periods of rain and snow before switching over to mostly snow around sunset as temperatures drop below freezing, said John Gagan, a National Weather Service meteorologist based in Sullivan.
Snow totals of 1 to 3 inches are forecast south of I-94 between Madison and Milwaukee. That’s not likely to be the actual amounts piling up on the ground since much of the snow is expected to melt.
“That’s the storm total for snow amounts, that doesn’t guarantee they’ll have that snow depth,” Gagan said Monday evening. “As we get into April and the sun angle changes, much of it will quickly melt.”
A winter storm warning was issued from Manitowoc County through Winnebago County west to La Crosse County and counties to the north from 1 a.m. Tuesday until 4 a.m. Wednesday. Total snow accumulations of up to 11 inches are possible across central, east-central and northeast regions of the state Tuesday.
The warning extends from Oshkosh north to Rhinelander. Motorists should plan on difficult travel conditions in the region, the weather service said.
Aside from wet conditions on roads in the Milwaukee area, Gagan said the precipitation is not expected to affect commuters on Tuesday. But since below-freezing temperatures are expected Tuesday night, snow could accumulate overnight and untreated roads could be messy Wednesday morning.
“Although early into the event it will be warm and a lot of this will be melting, we don’t want people to think it’s a nonevent,” Gagan said.
“As it gets colder, the snow will stick around and by Wednesday morning there could be slippery roads.”
After the storm passes, blustery winds and mostly sunny skies with a high near 33 are forecast Wednesday for southeastern Wisconsin.
Light rain returns to the Milwaukee area Thursday afternoon with highs in the upper 30s. The precipitation likely will change to snow in the evening before ending that night.